Great Wyrley artists' paintings in the frame

Members of Great Wyrley Art Club are busy putting the final touches to an exhibition at the village's community centre.

Examples of their artwork are on always on show at the Landywood Lane centre, but tomorrow their pictures will fill the walls of the big hall.

Around 20 members are taking part in the exhibition, each bringing both recent work and art pieces from past years.

Glynis Haimes, one of the club's earliest members, said it was 'not a class but a club'.

She said: "It's purely recreational, there's no instruction. People just come along and paint, and so many turn out to be quite talented.

"There are so many different styles of art within the group that if anyone needs any guidance, there's always someone to turn to that can help.

"We hardly ever get a vacancy, not unless one of us dies or leaves the area, although we had a couple of new members this year."

Mrs Haimes, who is taking along 14 of her pictures, joined the club 12 years ago after retiring from teaching IT at schools in Willenhall, West Bromwich and Walsall.

She said each member contributed one painting to a permanent exhibition at the community centre where the club regularly meets. When a picture is sold, it is replaced by another by the same artist.

But tomorrow, more than 100 paintings will be on show. Artists' equipment will also be on sale along with homemade cake and coffee.

"We paint in a partitioned-off area of the hall, which is small so it restricts our numbers, but it's lovely and light, with windows all down one side," said Mrs Haimes.

"For our annual exhibition, the hall is opened up and lined with our paintings. It's a very social occasion which people from the village look forward to."

The club also organises outings for members, including visiting galleries and other art-themed visits.

Admission to the exhibition, which is open between 10am - 4pm, is free.